The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 1916. GERMANY TOO LATE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 78, 8 March 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 1916. GERMANY TOO LATE.

The full text of Mr Lloyd George’s speech in the House of Commons, which came to hand by the recent mail from London, indicates that a quite wrong impression was conveyed in the cabled summary, which struck a decided note of pessimism, and pictured the Chancellor as despairingly saying “England is always too late.” The full report of this famous speech shows that what he did say throws new light on the war situation, and that instead of being laggards, unadaptable, slow ami unimaginative, the British people have accomplished the most extraordinary tilings. The measure of our accomplishment, says a Canadian commentator, must always he based on the established system of our lives before the war. When once the theory of our world existence is thoroughly understood, the amazing transformation which has taken place can be grasped, in a word, the British people have not only exercised to the fullest extent the heritage of sea power, hut they have also in the short space of eighteen

months built up. a military power of the iirst rank, it was only natural that in the construction of the military power the British were too late when compared with the resourcefulness shown by the Central Powers, who had been preparing for -10 years, carefully training to accomplish a definite task. That task they have failed to accomplish, whilst the British people have succeeded in fulfilling theirs. Compared with'Germany, wo did start too late to build up our mi litary power, but what Mr Lloyd George proved was that despite the terrific handicap under which wo labored mentally and physically -and the mental attitude of a whole nation cannot he changed at a word nt command—Britain succeeded i|i rising to the responsibilities she assumed in a manner beyond all cavil. Admitting frankly that caught unprepared as Britain was by her treacherous German foes, she had much leeway to make up, Mr Lloyd George showed how remarkably that leeway has been made up. He made the startling disclosure that when the Gormans wore turning out 210.000 shells a day we were turning out 2 >OO in

high explosive and 1300 in< r shrapnel and that now we have exceeded the German output and have adequate supplies for the greatest battles. He showed that up to June o! last year big guns on a large scale had not been ordered. This was because the theory of modern warfare lias now to-; tally changed, am) the best author!-, tics are agreed that this is the dayj of big guns. The heavy siege 'gunj which Britain had at the beginning of the war is now the lightest. Only the very heaviest guns will enable armies to demolish trenches with ( concrete casemates. and factories have been established to mamifac-; tore these in large numbers. So with machine gnus and small arms] and everything else, England has risen magnificently to the * occasion.! When .Mr Lloyd George used the. words which is our cabled messagesj struck such a note of pessimism thev were but part of a splendid effort of, oratory intended to stir up the Brit-j ish workers to a fuller sense oi tin ir duty to their country, to their brothers in the trenches, and to themselves. It is in reality, and in the bright light of most recent happenings, Germany, winch has to cry in desperation and venomous hatred ot Britain, “Too Late.” The Canadian commentator above referred to holds! that from the very first the German schemers have boon too Into rml | !e j goes on to say that as an ideal turn Prussian faith in “frightfulness” mj too late. As a government the German system of government is an anachronism —it is too late. Strategically | the Germans are too late. Morally they are too late. Their suggestions of peace are too late. Too late they are learning the lesson of civilisation. Too late they arc beginning to realise the value of sea power. r i on date they have learned the invincible spirit of the French, the loyalty of the Allies, the unflinching determination of Russia. Too late have the Germans awakened to the advantages possessed by free peoples. Too late have they seen the flaming dawn of j doom rising on the horizon of thehj empire. .Nothing can save them ex | cept surrender. It is too late io;j for them to expect terms from anj outraged world. Such words exactly ] express the feeling of all men whol are for true civilisation and the' freedom of all peoples and states, both great and small. The noble stand of the Allies against the maddened Hminish hosts on the western front to-day proves 'amply that it is too late for Germanism.